UK Poultry Disease Quarterly Surveillance Report: April-June 2010

Highlights of the latest quarterly report from the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA) include losses of broilers from primary E. coli infections and in turkeys linked to rotavirus.

1 October 2010

3 minute read

Quarterly Surveillance Report Poultry: Volume 14. No. 2
April to June 2010
Published October 2010

Contents

-Overview:
- Factors influencing disease and submission rates
- Avian notifiable diseases: investigations in Great Britain
- Avian notifiable diseases: international events summary
- Investigatory and advisory farm visits
-Cross-sector avian endemic disease surveillance
-Endemic disease surveillance – all poultry sectors
-Unusual and new diseases
-Scanning surveillance for new & emerging diseases
-Horizon scanning
-References

Highlights

Substantial increase in the number of diagnostic submissions and carcasses received by the VLA and SAC compared with the same time last year. This may be a reflection of demand and growth in the broiler and layer sectors.
No further H5N1 HPNAI detections in the EU following cases in Romania and Bulgaria. However, detections continue in poultry and wild birds in Asia.
Detections of IBV variants including European QX-like strains in commercial poultry in GB. This includes reports of 'false layer syndrome' putatively associated with IBV-QX infection based on serology.
Losses in broiler chicks and commercial layers dominated by E. coli infections. Whilst predisposing infectious and/or non-infectious factors are often implicated, disease may also be caused by primary E. coli infection.
Enteric disorders and reduced performance in turkeys involving viral infections. Rotavirus diagnosed in young poults and recurrent problems reported in older meat birds.
Nephritis in breeding pheasants and rotavirus and protozoal infections affecting game bird poults, with frequent DVE diagnoses in Muscovy ducks. Such diagnoses are common during this quarter, with seasonal disease patterns seemingly unaltered.